American Religious Civil War news

American Atheists Media Alert

http://www.atheists.org

"OKLAHOMA OUTRAGE," DISCRIMINATION

AGAINST ATHEISTS TOPIC OF ABC PROGRAM

This Friday, May 11, 2007 ~ Kagin, Smalkowski Family

WHAT: A special two-hour ABC Network program scheduled to air this Friday, May 11 will discuss prejudice against Atheists in American, particularly in the city of Hardesty, Oklahoma, where Nicole Smalkowski was expelled from public school on false charges when she refused to stand in a circle on the auditorium floor with the girls’ basketball team and recite the “Lord’s Prayer."

Her father Chuck Smalkowski was falsely indicted on criminal charges, all because of prejudice against their assertion of their rights as Atheists. American Atheists participated in Chuck’s criminal trial that resulted in three “Not Guilty” verdicts by a jury. Edwin Kagin, National Legal Director for American Atheists, persuaded the jury to swear to believe an Atheist under oath over a Christian if the facts so warranted. Following the verdict, American Atheists and the Smalkowski family filed a lawsuit for civil rights violations by state actors, under color of state law, in the Federal Court of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The Smalkowskis, Edwin Kagin, and Richard Dawkins share a nine minute segment of this program that was recorded in ABC’s studios in New York City, and on location in Hardesty and Guymon, Oklahoma. Richard Rice, a Christian, who has agreed to serve as Oklahoma local counsel in the lawsuit, was interviewed on camera in Oklahoma. The four days of filming, condensed to nine minutes, will of necessity omit many things and one or more of the persons filmed may be cut.

WHO: American Atheists members Nichole Smalkowski and Chuck Smalkowski and Edwin Kagin, National Legal Director for American Atheists.

WHEN: Friday, May 11, 2007 for two hours, starting at 9:00 pm (EDT).

WHERE: 20-20 show on ABC television, thought to be titled “Religion in America.”

MORE INFO:

www.atheists.org/flash.line/smalko1.htm

www.atheists.org/flash.line/smalko3.htm

www.atheists.org/legal/Smalkowski/Entry%20of%20Appearance%20Kagin%20filed%2024%20Aug%202006.pdf (AMERICAN ATHEISTS is a nationwide movement that defends civil rights for Atheists; works for the total separation of church and state; and addresses issues of First Amendment public policy.)

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American Religious Civil War news.

Answers in Genesis is finally ready to open their much mouthed “Creation Museum.”

This monumental tribute to nonsense, this world class ignorance, will open on Memorial Day, May 28th, 2007 in Northern Kentucky, as, with drums beating and banners waiving, they encourage a march backwards into the dark past of the mind from which we have so painfully and so recently evolved.

In one generation, it might be actually possible to cause humankind to forget science and to once again cower under a miasma of myth.

It is stunning how many similar facilities dedicated to destroying our civilization have sprung up like turd blossoms across our free land.

See: http://www.nwcreation.net/museums.html

Edwin.

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On Miracles and Microchips

It's a miracle. Overworked monastic scrivener, in T.V. commercial, upon

introduction to Xerox electronic copier.

The Reverend Gilder Smelt, of the Mail Me Magic Money Miracle Missions Movement, had been blessed with the gifts of miracle healing and of prophecy, but, regrettably and inexplicably, had been denied the gift of correct grammar. He was held a prophet of God by his followers when he spoke on the 7Ms Club's vast radio and television network. He had succeeded the movement's founder, Dr. Ducworth Bliss, after the latter had been, according to Rev. Smelt, translated directly into heaven like Elijah and the BVM.

Secular authorities held the less metaphysical view that Dr. Duck, as they termed him, had faked his death in a plane crash in Brazil, where he then proceeded to reside, safe from secular extradition, among fellow travelers of Nazi persuasion. Authorities also cynically believed that Bliss had taken with him a large quantity of mailed miracle money, sent him by the gullible who accepted the teaching that the last dollar of the starving, if sent as magic seed money in cash to 7Ms, would be multiplied and returned by God to the sinning sender seven times seventy fold. Because 7Ms was an officially recognized church, it paid no taxes and could not be made to disclose how much money it received, or how much was missing, assuming anyone really knew.

Dr. Duck's disappearance permitted the grammatically challenged Smelt to expand upon the mendacity of his mentor, and added a certain irony to 7Ms' theme song, "More More Money Makes Miracle Missions Move." Previously satisfied with receiving the last mites of the hopeless, whose faith usually proved inadequate, after the transfer of funds, to achieve the miracles sought, the 7Ms Club, under Smelt, tooled up for serious electronic chautauqua.

With the compensated aid of shills, and the uncomprehending cooperation of the habitually hysterical and hypochondriacal, 7Ms' fortune and fame flourished. The only real problem Rev. Smelt encountered was deciding whether to condition members of his audience—of the soon to be miraculously cured—to fall backwards or forwards following his heavenly healing touch. He settled on forwards. Some of the fallees seeking the strong arms of salvation were attractive, full bosomed young women.

None of Brother Smelt’s miracles, whether calling on the power of God to produce healings or to prevent hauntings, were ever verified by competent skeptics. Why permit the damned to question the ordained? What, Smelt unartfully argued, could science, or logic, or reason hope to provide the human spirit that could possibly compare or compete with faith, with the promise that all things hoped for would be provided, if not immediately, then in an invisible future world where you don't get hurt if you fall on your face. When asked by a godless cynic why so many people sent so much money they didn't have for miracles that didn't happen, Gilder Smelt replied, "We done it for God." And, as predictably as a Harvard graduate telling you he is one, the insecure and the frightened lined up to fall down.

7Ms' miracle mania swept the world. Audio tapes, videos, CDS, interactive CD-ROMs, tee shirts, bumper stickers, mugs, and every conceivable sort of bizarre religious kitsch was sent out for free to believers who sent in love gifts of magic miracle seed money. One popular item, the Ye-are-the-salt-of-the-earth, glow-in-the-dark, seashell salt shaker, formed in the image of the translated to heaven Ducworth Bliss, was sent without charge to those who made heroic love gift payments on their eternal life insurance policies. Often this variegated shaker became the centerpiece on altars of families whose polluted water supply would prematurely merge them with The Eternal Bliss.

Sufficient funds were received to permit Miracle Missions to expand into world wide real estate holdings. Miracle theme parks, hotels, office buildings, campgrounds, and even Miracle Meals fast food restaurants became common throughout America and most foreign countries. Gilder's favorite dish, grilled Spam and Velveeta cheese with onion, lettuce, mayonnaise and ketchup on white bread, was sold by the billions as the Miracle Smelt Melt. 7Ms was ready to control the world.

Almost as fast as a priest on a choirboy, individual religions lost their identities. When a denomination discovered 7Ms suddenly owned even its church properties, rather than be evicted, the elders usually agreed to change their signs. Eventually, and not altogether bloodlessly, 7Ms came to hold solid supernatural superiority on earth. When only the conventicles and those pesky Atheists seemed beyond their reach, 7Ms decided to change some laws.

The previously shepherdless sheep, who now consumed Smelt Melts, willingly elected religious bigots and scientific illiterates to all public offices. School teachers taught children the More More Money song, and all learning became dedicated to the proposition that one lived only for 7Ms, so that one could live blissfully after death. All knowledge was held electronically and dispensed electronically, by video while awake, and by audio while asleep. Creationism and faith classes replaced the teachings of outlawed scientific heresies that had claimed it was possible to find out how the world really worked, or where humans really came from. The libraries of the older learning were destroyed.

Years passed. Everywhere was seen the fixed smile and thousand yard stare of the fanatically faithful. There was the occasional stoning of someone who claimed the fixed earth moved, and every so often children were reassigned, and their parents re-educated, if their traditional family was found to be practicing home schooling in science, or sex education, or teaching the heresy of reason. But, in general, life was good. For a while.

Suddenly, things fell apart. Viruses evolved that didn't know there was no evolution, nor that they could be stopped by faith. Almost simultaneously, the equipment that directed electrons to become images and voices failed. Secular scientists and science had been outlawed. Anyone who remembered and practiced the old ways, who knew how to repair or create a computer or a microchip, was in hiding or dead. 7Ms could neither deal with the plague, nor get their messages on line. Everyone was sick or dying; no miracle worked, and the voice of god in the machine was silent. A fortiori, faith failed.

Blame for these happenings was imputed to the Atheists. The Blissful Judgement was upon the faithful, because they had been meek and gentle with those who had sought to control nature and deny god's plan.

Darkness and death covered the land. The dead were left to bury the dead. No invisible electron could be controlled. Faith was swallowed up in viruses. The unseen world had triumphed over the seen.

Some time passed before the first of the Atheists emerged. He was an ancient, gaunt man; his hand held the hand of a beautiful young woman. They had received inoculations, from their people, before their own computers had fallen silent in their secret places. All electronic information in the world was now forever lost. The destruction was as complete as that of the righteous fires that once consumed the collected knowledge of the Maya. This time, religion had destroyed itself in its own temple, using its own rules.

"Hypatia," the old man said, "I want to show you something." They walked in silence, until they reached an outdoor Altar of Bliss. He swept away the salt shaker, and shells and salt splattered as the icon smashed on the marble. He withdrew a package from his bag, and placed it on the altar. When the tattered, watertight wrappings were removed, he stood back and let the child gaze in wonder at the treasure. After some moments she said, "Grandfather, it's beautiful. What is it?"

He looked deeply into the health, and strength, and creativity, and intelligence, and curiosity of her human eyes, unglazed by grace, and said, "It's a book."

Edwin Kagin (from Baubles of Blasphemy)

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Rally for Reason

www.rallyforreason.com

If you think being outdoors in response to a threat to the foundations of knowledge is too much trouble, do not worry. Those who would establish a theocracy over us have promised to attack only when it is convenient for you, when it is not raining, when you can be warm, dry, safe, well fed, and have had plenty of time to engage in Liberal Angst over just what to do. Meanwhile, others will fight the American Religious Civil War and protect your freedoms for you.

Do you have something more important to do this Memorial Day?

Edwin